Washington Week: Student Voices (O)

Criticism of Bush, Iraq war gets Clay boos at U. Missouri-St. Louis
By Sean Michael
The Current (U. Missouri-St. Louis)
06/27/2006

(U-WIRE) ST. LOUIS — Rep. William "Lacy" Clay's commencement speech created a stir when he began to criticize President Bush and the war in Iraq. Rep. Clay spoke at the commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 13 at the Mark Twain Building.

Clay began his speech by telling the story of his own path through college at the University of Maryland at College Park. After he was placed on academic probation for poor grades, his father stopped paying for school and Clay began working a part time job and paid for his own education.

He told the audience that after graduation he decided to turn down a good job in order to attend law school and then run for public office.

In the middle of his speech, after giving graduates quotes from the Dalai Lama on how to lead a happy and meaningful life, the audience became markedly hostile when Clay began criticizing President Bush and the war in Iraq.

According to a transcript of the speech, Clay said, "When I visit a college campus, I feel a responsibility to give you the facts about this war and ask for your help in ending it."

Clay said, "President Bush took this country to war by choice; not because we had to fight, but because he wanted a fight."

Clay said the war had racked up a cost so far of almost $400 billion, and the "much greater cost" of the lives of 2,428 soldiers and 39,000 innocent Iraqi civilians.

Many audience members booed the congressman. Brandon Dempsey, who was awarded his bachelor's degree in communication at the ceremony, said he felt Rep. Clay's speech was inappropriate.

Dempsey said he felt the speech should have provided words of wisdom to support the students for the future. According to Dempsey, Clay used the commencement speech as a platform for his liberal agenda.

Graduate Becky Rosner, mass communications, said, "I felt shocked that Clay would bring his political views to a graduation ceremony."

Rosner felt the speech was at the wrong place, at the wrong time. "Everyone's open to their own opinions and that's fine, but people were trapped; they weren't going to walk out because they still had to walk the stage to receive their degrees," she said.

Aimee Pomeroy, who graduated with a bachelor's of science degree in nursing, said she appreciated Clay's opinions about President Bush and the War in Iraq. "The content wasn't anything we hadn't heard before, But I felt he took the speech as a chance to express his viewpoints on the War in Iraq," she explained.

D'Andre Braddix, president of the Student Government Association, said he felt uncomfortable by the reaction of the audience.

"Never before have I heard an audience boo at a commencement speech."

Braddix said that overall he enjoyed the speech. "I felt the speech was moving to say the least," he continued.

Other students were not as lenient when it came to discussing Clay's speech. "People began booing and yelling," Dempsey said, "I began screaming at the top of my lungs for Clay to get off the stage, that he was not wanted here."

Dempsey explained that the place erupted into a riot. "He told every one to shut up and listen to him," he said.

Rosner said she felt the graduation ceremony was supposed to be a happy time and Clay's speech put a damper on the proceedings. "I felt the worst part of his speech was when he said that he was holding the microphone and everyone better listen to his words," she explained.

Executive Director of Quality Service Contractors Charles Wallace, parent, wrote a letter to Chancellor Thomas George indicating his disapproval of Clay's commencement speech. "I was totally shocked he decided to go that way; he was bashing the president and republicans and anybody who voted for the war and specifically the president," he said.

In his letter Wallace wrote, "I believe in freedom of speech, and everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I am not in favor of turning the occasion of joy and excitement of the graduates and their parents and friends into an arena to make political statements."

Wallace explained that he was booing as much as anybody in the audience. "I don't feel he had a right to express his political view in that setting," he added.

He felt that the speech detracted from the purpose that everybody was there. "In all my years of attending these commencements this is the first time that something like this has happened.

Wallace said he hopes that in the future the University of Missouri-St. Louis will be more selective about who they choose to speak and what topics they will have.

Dempsey said he was disappointed Chancellor George did not stop Clay from ruining his graduation. "I was embarrassed that Clay represented me in that light, and I was physically sick by his speech," he added.

The students were happy once the speech was over, according to Pomeroy. "I wasn't upset with his viewpoints, just the arena in which he chose to express them," she said.

Pomeroy said that during the speech she thought her graduation would be ruined. "Once I got on stage, it didn't seem to matter as much," she added.

Director of University Communications Bob Samples said that a political official like Clay speaking is not unique. "There were several people who were receptive to Clay's message and others who were not; it was a mixed reception," he added.

Braddix said he thought most people were not really upset with Clay after the speech was finished. "During the speech the reaction was split; a lot of people were booing and a lot were yelling," he continued.

Braddix said that he felt that UM-St. Louis would not take any precautions when picking another speaker because this was a one-time occurrence.

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